The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has voiced its frustration that Irish pig prices are remaining static, despite improving values in general across the EU. Association leaders have also criticised the way in which “some factories” are trading at present.
“It is desperately frustrating to see EU pig prices rise while Irish prices remain static,” said IFA pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, although he did note that with European supplies tightening and weights decreasing, “prices will only continue to improve”.
“German prices rose again this week,” he added, “a move which is worth 1500 a week to the average pig farmer.”
However, on the trading issue in Ireland, he said: “There is massive concern as it appears that some factories are rolling the pigs of their regular suppliers and buying off dealers to fill the void. This is absolutely unacceptable.”
IFA reported that factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the short week ending January 31, 2015, was 60,010 head, which was 503 head more than in the previous week and 4,917 more than in the corresponding week in 2014. Slaughterings in ROI export plants are 5.3 % ahead of the same period in 2014.
